Correspondent
UKHRUL MARCH 31
Nagaland Chief Minister and convenor of the North East Region People’s Front (NERPF) Neiphiu Rio reiterated that NPF will work for ‘emotional integrity’ of all Nagas in Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal, Burma and Assam.
Addressing a mammoth rally in Ukhrul at Tangkhul Naga Long ground while campaigning for Naga People’s Front (NPF)’s candidate, Soso Lorho in the outer Manipur parliamentary constituency on Monday, Rio assured that NPF would work for solving the Naga issue.
Rio said the Naga People’s Front (NPF) is not only for the Nagas but for all the minority communities. The Nagaland chief minister NPF will work for the tribal people of Manipur and revert the damages done by the Congress government led by Ibobi in the past 12 years in Manipur.“Meiteis and the Nagas will remain good neighbours. Nagas respect the rights of the Meiteis,” Rio stated.
Following Rio’s campaign for the NPF candidate in Tamemglong on March 29th, Manipur Congress legislator N Biren lodged a complaint to the ECI against Neiphiu Rio for alledlyly making ‘communal statements’ during his poll campaigns in Manipur and violating the electoral code of conduct.
However the Nagaland Chief Minister Rio continued his campaigns for Soso Lorho and addressed election rallies for the third time in Manipur’s Ukhrul and Chandel hill towns after he formally launched NPF candidate’s campaign in Senapati district on March 26. Rio said the vision of forming the North East Regional Political Front is to address the common issues of the north eastern people. Rio also rubbished the remarks of Vice President of All India Congress Committee Rahul Gandhi’s during his address at a rally in Kohima on March 27th, that the Congress had the interest of the people in the north east at heart.
He also told the rally of the controversial bid by Jt. Secretary Home, Shambhu Singh to prevent NPF’s entry to Manipur. It was reported by the CMO’s office that on the eve of the March 29th address at Tamenglong, news came that permission for landing of the helicopter of the Chief Minsiter was being removed on instructions by Mr. Singh to the Assam Rifles in Manipur in control of the helipad.The order was reversed later at night following protests from the CMO’s office.
Today the Jt. Secreraty Home, Shambhu Singh has denied issuing such instructions.
Earlier today, Rio also addressed a similar election rally at Maha Union High School Ground at Chandel district headquarters, 70 km south of Imphal.On March 29, Nagaland chief minister visited had addressed two election rallies at Tamei and Tamenglong in Manipur’s Tamenglong district. In all the trips, Nagaland’s planning minister TR Zeliang accompanied the chief minister.
